Day two was as horrid as day one. As Rarity had gotten used to Trinity’s life it soon clicked that she was simply sorry for this pony. Having to help with a talent that simply wasn’t her’s.
Rarity sighed as she levitated a paint bucket over to her tray.
“How are you doing Trinity?” Trinity’s mother asked. She learned her mother’s name was Crafty Amethyst; she learned she had decided to keep her own surname. Apparently, she is very gifted in painting, but got her cuteymark in cooking instead. She was bummed after that as her mom had a sculpting cuteymark.
“Good...” Rarity beamed. She tried to sound like this pony. She also learned from Sweet Dream that Trinity tries to keep a happy face whenever there was a situation she wasn’t fond of.
“This room looks almost done!” Her mom smiled. “Nice work!”
“Thank you.” Rarity rolled her roller in the tray, but then looked at the doorway of where her mother stood. “Hey, mom...” Just saying that made her seem strange.
“Yes?”
Rarity began rolling paint on the wall only to shield herself from splatters. “Why am I doing this?” Rarity asked.
“Whatever do you mean?” Her mother seemed taken aback by this.
Rarity sighed. She didn’t want to inflict havoc on Trinity’s life but a statement has to be made. She never went to play football with her father because she found that fashion was her talent. Although, there was that one time that her mother brought her to a knitting fest with her friends, but she wanted to go. Why Trinity would want to work here is just puzzling to her. “This isn’t my talent...” Rarity stated. “I should be off practicing that, not painting walls and all that...” During that sentence, Rarity kind of slipped her own accent into it by accident. Hopefully, Trinity’s mom won’t notice.
The mare just stood there gaping at her daughter. Then, she let out a scoff. “Trinity...” She walked over and ran a hoof through her mane. “You know, I keep telling you..” She trailed off obviously wanting her to finish.
Rarity stood there and began to panick a little. If she didn’t finish this, they would know it’s not her. “Um...” She stopped rolling to concentrate. “Uh...” She looked at her mom.
However, she only got a huff. “Think about it Trinity...” She walked away after that.
Rarity couldn’t take it anymore. She has been working her flank off for the past few days and she never even got to do what she wanted. No wonder this unicorn looses control of her magic so often. Instead of studying to find the correct spell to keep it under control, she is stuck working as a construction pony. Rarity let out a frustrated growl and finished rolling the new color on the mismatched part of the wall. “I am surprised she didn’t run away yet...” Rarity grumbled.
Then a blue stallion came into the room. “Hey.” His voice was sort of mumbly and seemed to look almost like Trinity. Except for the short mane and he didn’t have the pink in his mane. He looked around the room. This was Trinity’s brother. Jolt Midnight Dream. However, Rarity learned that he only goes by Jolt after she called him Midnight. “Need any help?” He entrapped the roller in his yellow magic levitating it to the ceiling rolling it back and forth.
Rarity watched him as he used her roller. “Nope. I am perfectly fine.” She smiled.
He laughed and then levitated the roller back to the tray as if her statement didn’t reach him. “I know you’re not my sister.” He smiled looking at her out of the corner of his eye.
Rarity felt her face flush of color. She was practically heaving for air. “H-How?” She laughed nervously trying to catch her breath. She didn’t know why she was heaving a lot. This was something she didn’t want: anymore of Trinity’s family catching on, but her brother found out. It’s only a matter of time until everypony else in her family figures it out too.
“Trinity hates salads. She mentions it more than she should. Plus, you just give off something I can’t put my hoof on...” He laughed.
Rarity scoffed. “Well-”
Jolt interrupted her again. “So who are you?”
Rarity watched him as the words fell out of his mouth. “Uh...” She dug her hoof into the carpet. Why is she so nervous? It’s not like she is going to hurt him. Who else in Trinity’s family knew? Well, so far her sister only knows and her brother just found out. Figuring nothing bad would happen she looked at Jolt again. “My name is Rarity. I am a fashion pony from Ponyville.” She smiled.
“Oh.” He didn’t say anything else. Just continued rolling on the ceiling.
Rarity peeked her head around an invisible wall. “That's it?” She asked.
“Yep.” He answered.
The fashionista walked over in front of Jolt. “You don’t want to ask me anything else?”
“Well...” He looked down at her as he made the roller keep working. “I don’t really have any other questions. I mean, I know how you switched, Trinity’s powers went out of control.” He paused. “It happens half of the time...” He smiled at her and looked at the room. “But, I don’t think Element will figure it out so easily-”
“Element? Who’s Element?” Rarity hadn’t heard of her before. Is she another relative or somepony?
Jolt looked at Rarity. “Oh yeah, she’s out of town for a job thing...” He rubbed his neck. “Element Glow. She is another sibling...” He trailed off not wanting to get into specifics.
Rarity’s head tilted to the side confused. “What? Another one?” She looked at him.
He went on mumbling. “She’s an earth pony though...” He switched his eyes back to the ceiling as a paint drop landed on his head.
“Oh...” She then noticed a few drips landing on the carpet. “Jolt...” She finally remembered something.
“What?”
“There’s a reason I didn’t start on the ceiling yet...” She looked at the paint splattered carpet then. Their Dad-no Trinity’s Dad is going to kill them.
Jolt then noticed what the fuss was about. “Oh...” He looked around his face growing redder and redder. “Dad just put this in too...” He laughed nervously and then dropped the roller back to the tray.
“Run.” He galloped out of the room with Rarity on tow.
“So, what’s your talent?” Rarity followed Jolt outside noticing his cutiemark was a blow torch.
“Welding!” He looked at it proudly. “And your’s?”
She laughed. “Finding gems to make my fashion more prominent...”
“Cool!” He laughed.
“Now, if you don’t mind me asking, how is Element Glow an earth pony if you are all unicorns?”
“Her Dad was an earth pony...” Jolt trailed off in silence.
“Huh?”
“Our Mom had a relationship with her dad, they got married, but it didn’t end well. She ended up getting a divorce and meeting my Dad at a bar.” He looked at Rarity and she looked like she had some trouble putting all the pieces together.
“And when she got pregnant with me, they got married at my grandparent’s place.” He looked at the ground.
Suddenly both of their ears twitched as some loud yelling came through the upstairs window. “How in Tartarus! I just put this in!” A loud booming voice echoed the streets and Rarity and Jolt both turned red as a tomato.
“Trinity!” A woman’s voice yelled through the house. It did not sound pleasant.
Jolt’s ears fell to their sides. “Oh no! You’re going to get blamed...” He sang. “Stay here...” He walked slowly up the front porch and then inside the house.
Rarity stood there dumbfounded. Was she just betrayed? Was he going to tell their parents that it was her who splattered the carpet? When she had done such a good job layering the newspaper near the walls. “Oh no you don’t!” She ran inside and ran up the stairs but stopped at the top when she heard some talking.
“Trinity didn’t do this...” Jolt explained.
A filly voice was heard. “She would never do this! I know her!” The voice squealed a bit.
“I don’t care who did it!” Their Dad-no-Trinity’s Dad was really furious. Did he hear her hoofsteps? “I have to replace the whole carpet now!” A loud hoof stomp could be heard on the carpet as if it wasn't even muffled. “Everypony out! Except you Jolt. You’re going to help me!” The stallion shouted.
Both of the girls came out of the room and Rarity broke into a run down the stairs sitting on a piece of wood that didn’t look too dirty.
Their mother sighed. “Ugh... Trinity...” Her mother looked at Trinity with disapproving eyes as she walked out to the unfinished kitchen in the house.
Rarity’s eyes flattened against her head. It wasn’t her fault! She wanted to scream it out.
Sweet Dream came over to her and looked as scared as she did. “Dad said it didn’t matter...” She mumbled. She obviously saw Rarity’s distress but kept going on. “I wouldn’t worry about it much.”
Rarity wrapped a hoof around Sweet Dream’s neck. “But it does matter! When adults say it doesn’t matter, it matters!” Her eyes went small and her face scrunched up. All, Sweet Dream did was slowly back away.
All of a sudden, Trinity’s mom came out of the kitchen and looked at the two girls. “I think we should go get something to eat for the boys while they work...” The mare smiled.
Rarity tried to smile like Sweet Dream taught her but she just wasn’t as cheerful as the pony she was trying to impersonate. “Let’s go!” Rarity rushed out the door laughing but she hadn’t caught the nervousness as it slipped into her tone.
“What’s wrong with her?” Sweet Dream’s mother asked.
“Who knows...” She trailed off. “Maybe she is tired...” Sweet Dream smiled sheepishly.
“Maybe...” Both of the mares walked out of the house to see Rarity hooking the cart up to her.
“Uh....Trinity?” Their mother looked at her with a sheepish smile.
“Yes mother?” Rarity looked at her.
“Why are you connecting yourself to the wagon? You don’t have your wagon badge yet?” She laughed.
Rarity looked astonished. “Don’t have my-” She breathed in and out.
Sweet Dream could only watch as the scene before her was turning into a nightmare. If their parents found out that Trinity wasn’t herself, she would be in serious trouble.
Rarity struggled to come up with an excuse as to why she was on the wagon. “Uh... I...” She looked at Sweet Dream who just shrugged. “Sweet Dream thought I couldn’t get hooked up to the wagon by myself. So I wanted to show her I could!” She laughed. “Ta Daa!”
“Wow!” Sweet Dream played along. “Well, looks like you get to eat my cake tonight!”
Their mom just stood there looking very confused. So confused, her one brow was down and she was biting her tongue. Then, she shook her head as if shaking the expression off of her face. “Okay, well...”
She motioned for Trinity to get off of the wagon and Rarity did. She grabbed three saddle bags out of the wagon. “I don’t wanna haul this thing into town...” She handed each of the girls their own bags. “They aren’t really for food and that, more for tools, but I think we can make them work...”
Rarity blinked. Oh no, she was not going to put food in these bags. However, it’s not like they are going to be eating it. The ‘boys’ are. She laughed. However, these are tool saddlebags, they are going to be a lot heavier than normal saddlebags. She looked up as she saw the two with theirs’ on already.
“Come on Trinity strap it on!” Her sister squealed.
Rarity looked at the dirty bag. It needed a gem or one hundred before she could wear it. She grew hot as the two continued staring at her. She gathered her courage and picked the bag up to hoist it on Trinity’s backside. Already making a puff of dirt come up from inside of it. “Ew heh eww!” She coughed. She looked at the final thing keeping it from falling off of her which was the pull strap. She looked at it as it was covered in a dust she never saw before. “You have a horn Rarity use it!” She mumbled her thoughts out loud, but she was sure it was too quiet for either of the other mares to hear. She concentrated and Trinity’s horn lit up but then some lanterns on the street blinked and shorted out as they sparked wildly. “Oh my!” Rarity jumped in fear making the saddle on her back slide on the ground.
“Trinity!” Her mother yelled. “Just put the bag on, or we’re leaving you here!”
Rarity’s ears flattened. Something wasn’t right about this horn. Can horns grow wild? She was just using it a while ago to levitate the roller. Why won’t it work now? “Hehe!” She laughed. She grabbed the saddlebag again and put it on her back but then hesitated as she looked at it. The red, dirty bag on her-Trinity’s navy blue coat. She could see her mother’s growing frustration, but she just couldn’t stop thinking about the dirt!
“Trinity!” Sweet Dream yelled, knocking Rarity out of her trance.
“Ugh!” Her mother went over and pulled on the fastener strap with her own teeth. “There!” She huffed. “Let’s go...”
Rarity blinked a couple times trying to grasp what Trinity’s mother did. She just grabbed a dirty, dusty strap and bit it without giving it a second thought? Rarity was simply flabbergasted.
“Try to keep up Trinity!” She hadn’t noticed that they were halfway through the neighborhood. “You’re falling quite behind.” The older mare spoke.
Rarity looked up and broke into a ran catching up to them still in a daze. Out of all her years... She skidded to a halt when she reached them and put her brain on autopilot as they walked through the neighborhood to the neighboring town. Why in all of Equestria would somepony Celestia help them, be willing to grab a dirty, whatever kind of dust that was on it, in their mouth? It was unladylike; it was... downright despicable! She wanted to ask but that would give it away right then and there that she wasn’t Trinity. She had to get her mind off of this. She had to. Ugh, but how could she walk around knowing that there is a bag on her back? Knowing that there is some kind of dirt in there? She sighed. She’ll just not get any food to stick in the saddlebag and nopony would have to get sick.
“Here we are!” Their mom yelled. “The small marketplace out of Fillydelphia!” They walked that far already? That was a brisk short walk.
It was similar to Ponyville’s marketplace, ponies running little wooden stalls, but it was a much grayer and duller setting. Barely anypony was walking around. The place looked dead other than the stall keepers.
“Hello Basil Fields!” Their mother called to a dark brown pony. He looked like a pony in their middle ages and he was selling all sorts of fruits and vegetables.
“Oh, hello Crafty!” The pony had a strange accent like he was from another country or something. “Need some vegetables? Like always, I got carrots, apples, pears...” Rarity stopped listening as he went along with naming all of the fruits. “...and pineapples!” He finished.
“Hmm.... They all look really tasty!” Their mom smiled. “I’ll take a couple of carrots and a few bags of pears! Oh, and a few stalks of celery if you please!” She watched as he put all of them in a plastic bag. He nodded to her as he gave her the bag. “That will be ten bits!” He beamed. “And a hug!” He smiled his eyes glistening.
“Oh!” She hugged him, obviously as happy as he was. “Here are your bits!” She dropped them onto the counter and stuffed the newly purchased vegetables into the saddle bag.
“Now where’s my hugs from you two?” He looked at Sweet Dream and Trinity herself.
Rarity seemed very uncomfortable now as she was about to hug a stranger, but she did tons of generous things for a bunch of strangers back in Manehatten. What was she thinking? She’s the Element of Generosity! A kind hug will be surely generous. She laughed and played the part of hugging the man in the market.
Sweet Dream was next and gave hugged him as well.
“Okay, well, we better get going!” Crafty exclaimed. “See you tomorrow I guess!” The mares began walking away and their mother started looking at the other stalls.
They bought a couple of other things, however, the other vendors didn’t give them bags to put the stuff in since they saw they had their own. Rarity just kept her mouth shut when she had to put something in her saddlebag. She chewed on her tongue to keep her self from screaming too. How is she going to last?
They arrived at the house and watched as both of the stallions came out both sweaty and not talking to each other. Something obviously went wrong. Terribly wrong.